The present invention pertains to an apparatus for selectively supporting and releasing a carrier in a station for a pneumatic tube carrier transportation system, a station incorporating such an apparatus, and a tanking service pneumatic tube system including a station arranged with the disclosed apparatus.
Advance has been made in limiting the number of components and in simplifying the construction of banking service pneumatic tube transportation systems. For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,809 discloses a spring catch to selectively retain a carrier within a carrier chamber, or to release the carrier into the tube network. The spring catch is under solenoid control. U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,809 also discloses a multiple-chamber and valve arrangement for regulating pressure in order to control transport of the carrier between stations.
Other efforts have been directed to receiving the carrier and operating the station access door for customer or teller access of the carrier. For instance, according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,603, the carrier triggers switches which lock or unlock door means accordingly. Pressure build ups are created to slow the carrier. U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,102 relates to a pneumatic carrier terminal having a motor driven cam. The cam opens the tube door and lifts the carrier to the user simultaneously. When the carrier is to be transported to a different terminal, this operation is reversed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,316; 4,913,598; 4,930,941; and 4,941,777 disclose still other pneumatic tube conveying arrangements.